They say the best pizza in the world is from New York- apparently there's something in the water that makes the slices taste so good. Here in the UK, we don't have special water that you find in NYC, but we do have a lot of contenders that could take either NYC or even Italy's pizza for the crown- and it's all in the topping choices.
Here in Leeds, our best ideas come from the weird and the wonderful. The wackier, the better. And that certainly doesn't stop with pizza.
Here's our favourite places to grab some of the most unusual slices around.
Marmite Pizza from Cuckoo
Image: Cuckoo
The flavours at Cuckoo are truly out of this world and better yet, they come free with every single drink purchased after 5pm. There’s no room for classics- these pizzas are truly unique. The Love or Hate pizza is just one example. Naturally, you’re either going to think this is the world’s greatest pizza or take one bite and nothing more. It’s a marmite base topped with sun-dried tomatoes and cheese.
The Dillmatic is a dill and onion creamy based pizza with mozzarella, Lengonberry Jam, Parmesan and topped with Swedish meatballs or mushrooms, depending on your preference- and sounds like it came straight from the IKEA food canteen. The Homeboys is another of our city’s lockdown success stories and it’s clear that their experimental style and creative flair is continuing to allow them to cook up a storm in the city and beyond.
Thanks to this new pizza, we’ll never have to choose between our favourite varieties of carbs again. Traditionally made from eggs, hard cheese, cured pork, and black pepper, the age-old favourite of carbonara has made its way onto the menu for good reason- if anything we can’t believe it’s not come to Leeds sooner. A white-sauce base with creamy cheese, parmesan and cured pork meat makes up this tasty meal that will no-doubt have foodies flocking in by the masses.
This new Leeds spot has brought an unusual Italian delicacy, serving Panozza pizza sandwiches. Using Neapolitan Sourdough and traditional Italian fillings, these are really putting Mozza on the map. Popular fillings include a Ricotta cheese, Spianata Calabrese salami, grilled courgettes and extra virgin olive oil – sounds unreal. Also the Italian sausage and Neapolitan broccoli looks delicious, to be honest I want to try them all.
Read More: New Leeds restaurant with pizzas as sandwiches and a mozzarella bar
The Yorkshire Deli’s menu, the metre-long versions will comfortably feed six – so make sure to come hungry. Priced at £40, it’s actually a steal too if you split it six ways. They also have another tempting looking big pizza on their menu, called the Mezzo (£25). A mix between a calzone and a pizza, the menu says: “this one is for the hungry or maybe to share, a ‘HUGE’ pizza combined with a calzone, what’s not to love?”
Known as a panzerotto, the traditional Italian dish is deep fried pizza dough stuffed with mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce and a choice of toppings- and they’re going down a treat. Luigi's Street Food was up in Trinity Kitchen in January and was paid a visit by Rate My Takeaway legend, Danny Malin. The YouTuber stopped to try out the deep-fried pizza, chicken parmi and other authentic Italian treats and was highly impressed: you can't get a better recommendation in Leeds really.
Disco Kitchen is a new restaurant in Halifax with an ever-changing menu, where everyone is welcome and nothing is off limits. Owners Lisa and Brian opened Disco Kitchen in April as an inclusive space with a unique menu and laid-back atmosphere that makes it the perfect place for unwinding and partying alike. The spaghetti pizza is no exception to the unique menu on offer, we've seen garlic bread burritos, hangover poutine and loads of unique concepts that you wont' see anywhere else.
The dishes at Cuckoo are so incredibly unheard of they've made it on to this list multiple times. There’s also a range of dessert pizzas for those with a sweet tooth. Think Wonka Calzones with Nutella, marshmallows, fudge sauce and cinnamon sugar and PB&J pizzas with peanut butter and jelly spread across. Still not a margarita in sight.
American pop singer Kesha has dropped out of the Pitbull-fronted Roundhay Festival line-up, with a major shake-up announced today.
The second instalment of artists for Pitbull's headline Roundhay Festival show has been announced and it's missing highly-anticipated and originally-announced artist Kesha.
Festival organisers have said that the star will no longer be able to perform due to 'unforeseen scheduling conflicts'.
The American singer's musical adventure has taken a 'Joyride' since becoming independent in September 2024 and releasing her sixth studio album "." or Period almost a year ago.
Now, Kesha's title as 'Special Guest' has now been handed over to three very impressive artists who also shared a role in soundtracking some of the 2010s biggest hits.
Kesha was originally listed as a 'Special Guest' for Pitbull's Roundhay Festival gig in Leeds this July / Credit: Brendan Walters / Press Shots
One of these new artists is Jason Derulo, who is ready to treat the crowd to his array of chart-topping melodies like: 'Whatcha Say', 'Talk Dirty to Me', 'Trumpets'.
Another act who knows a thing or two about travelling the globe like Mr. Worldwide is 'Miami 2 Ibiza' hitmaker Tinie Tempah - things are definitely about to get 'Frisky'.
The final artist joining this already impressive list of names is Lil Jon who's bringing his high energy tracks to Roundhay Park such as 'Turn Down For What', 'Shots' and 'Get Low'.
Jason Derulo is just one of the artists making up the all-new Pitbull Roundhay Festival line-up / Credit: Wikimedia Commons (via Supplied)
Kesha's departure from this Leeds gig comes as a complete shock as the star is still set to play a whole host of UK festival dates including a BST Hyde Park show in London on 10 July.
In a statement shared via social media, Roundhay Festival has stated the reason for this very big change to the line-up:
"Due to unforeseen scheduling conflicts, Kesha will no longer be joining us this July. We hope to welcome her to Roundhay Park in the future."
Although fans who have already bought tickets to the show might still be 'Praying' for Kesha's return to the Roundhay Festival bill, it's safe to say these artists are a great addition.
Pitbull is coming to Roundhay Park in Leeds on Friday 3 July 2026 and so far he's bringing along Jason Derulo, Tinie Tempah and Lil Jon with more acts to follow - Tickets HERE.
A Leeds icon has been reborn as The Smithfield opens in former The Reliance site
Daisy Jackson
The Smithfield is finally here - and we're pleased to report that it's every bit as special as you were hoping.
This newcomer to Leeds has taken over the site that was home to The Reliance for more than two decades.
The team's transformation of the site started with a paint job - probably the most-talked-about paint job in the city - taking the site's exterior back to its memorable dark red.
That move immediately won over fans of The Reliance, with one person writing: "Seems the team here held the Relly in high regard and rightly so! Hopefully they can recapture some of its magic."
But the efforts to recapture the essence of the iconic old venue go way beyond that.
The Smithfield, a collaboration between Crooked Brewing and Chef James Donovan, is setting out to mix up relaxed hospitality with simple dining.
It's all about connection - to seasonal food, to the heritage of the building, and to the community that will make connections here.
Co-founder Steve Dawson outside The SmithfieldThe Reliance has been reborn as The SmithfieldWayward WinesThe dining room
If you're wondering what sort of things will be on the table, allow us to enlighten you.
There are sharing plates like grilled leeks on romesco, pigs head croquettes (a must-order), and whipped cods roe with radishes, all served on charming mismatched plates.
The bigger dishes include a comically massive pie for sharing, packed with chicken, leek, and tarragon. It's a mighty thing, especially paired with their crispy-edged chips.
You can also order a whole wild Cornish seabass for a real feast, or a fantastic beef sirloin with wild garlic butter.
There's a fantastic selection of natural wines from Wayward Wines, as well as (unsurprisingly) great beers.
Steak, pie, and charred leeksA spread of the plates at The SmithfieldSticky toffee puddingThe Smithfield has taken over the old The ReliancePigs head croquettes with gribicheThe chicken and tarragon sharing pieA sharing pie and chips at The SmithfieldBeef sirloin with wild garlic butter, and purple sprouting broccoli with ricotta and mintWild Cornish seabass with kohlrabi, fennel, and chervil - plus an orange wine from Wayward WinesThe Smithfield is now open
Steve Dawson, co-founder of Crooked Brewing, and his business partner chef James Donovan, were drawn to the old The Reliance site and are seizing the opportunity to contribute to the area's dining legacy.
While Steve's focus is on creating a social meeting point, James will focus on the casual, social dining, taking inspiration from the building's reputation as a cutting-edge gastro pub.
They'll be sourcing seasonally and locally, with menus that will change with the seasons.
The space itself inside is still familiar - those huge windows are the stars of the show, with the bar still standing centrally, while the dining room at the back is stripped-back and simple overlooking the open kitchen.
It's very early days for The Smithfield - they're just out of their soft launch period and gearing up for their first 'proper' weekend.
On their soft launch period, they wrote: "We were so grateful to welcome friends, neighbours, and the Leeds hospitality community to The Smithfield. Seeing the bar and dining room full after weeks of cleaning, painting, and graft has truly made it all worth it.
"A huge thank you to everyone who came along, showed their support, and has made this journey possible. Not least the Kitchen and bar teams, whose incredible service has kept the plates coming and the drinks flowing."
We feel pretty confident in saying Leeds will be very proud to have The Smithfield in our city.
Sophie Smith -
8th February 2022 
